Cambridgeshire police to cut half its PCSOs and close nine enquiry offices to help save £1.7m

Cambridgeshire Constabulary is to halve the number of PCSOs on the county’s streets from 80 to 40 and close nine enquiry offices as it looks to save £1.7million.

Six community safety officer posts across the force will also be cut as the community safety team is culled in the shake-up of neighbourhood policing.

And the number of enquiry officers will reduce from 17 to 11, with an appointment-based service introduced to enable people to speak to police.

Announcing the changes, Chief Constable Nick Dean said: “We have had to make some incredibly difficult decisions over the past 12 months when considering how we balance the needs of the community and the policing service we provide, with being able to manage within the budget we have – we simply could not continue with the existing neighbourhood policing model with the budget constraints we currently face, and are likely to have in the coming years.

“These proposals were due to be announced in April 2020, however, due to Covid-19, it was put on hold. We are very aware the timing of this announcement in the current climate is not good, however, in order to meet budget deficit demands, there is no alternative.

“The proposals have been made following extensive analysis across the force, the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire collaboration and the Eastern region seven force collaboration to find savings, and will make the necessary improvements in efficiency while saving the constabulary £1.7m. We simply could not continue with the existing financial modelling.”

Cambridgeshire Constabulary received a portion of the funding the government announced last year to bolster police numbers by 20,000 across England and Wales in future.

But the force said it had to make “considerable cost savings to avoid using financial reserves”.

Cambridge’s Labour MP Daniel Zeichner called the changes the “death knell for neighbourhood policing”.

But the force said the number of police officers across its neighbourhood policing teams continues to increase overall from 57 in April 2018 to an anticipated 132 in April 2021. This would be achieved, the constabulary saud, by savings achieved in the local policing review and precept increases.

The remaining PCSOs will in future be asked to cover all 28 neighbourhoods in Cambridgeshire.

The chief constable added: “Effective neighbourhood policing is absolutely crucial. I’m delighted we were able to provide an additional 50 officers to the frontline last year and that with these plans every single neighbourhood in the county will retain a PCSO allocation.

“No police stations will close as a result of these plans. Enquiry offices which have been affected by these plans will remain open for appointments and we are committed to holding regular surgeries to engage with the public.

“Footfall in some of the stations is incredibly low and we believe deploying officers out into the community is a far more effective use of resource.

“We are absolutely committed to neighbourhood policing, tackling crime in our communities and keeping the people of Cambridgeshire safe.”

But Mr Zeichner said: "This is bad news for Cambridge. We have already seen a reduction in uniformed officers on the streets, and frankly local communities feel the difference. There has been a steady rise in anti-social behaviour, and open drug-taking.

“I have always been a big supporter of PCSOs who do such valuable and vital work in communities underpinning the police service.

The MP added: “I fear this is the death knell for neighbourhood policing.

“In these difficult times during the pandemic, when there are ever-changing new rules to explain and enforce, their role is particularly important.

“I lay the blame squarely at the feet of the government. Local police forces should not be forced into making such cuts. It is clear that alongside everything else, this incompetent government also cannot be trusted to keep local people safe.

“I feel particularly for those hard-working and professional staff facing redundancy at a terrible time to look for a new job.”

Nicky Massey, Labour candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner added:

“The Tories talk the talk on recruiting more police officers but then they slash the numbers of all the staff supporting them. It's ridiculous.

“After a decade of austerity our police force is already under pressure - the government need to do better - because the people of Cambridge deserve to be kept safe.”

Anthony Browne, the Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire, said: “Neighbourhood policing matters. It is fundamental to our way of life, and the reason we feel safe in our homes and on our streets. I am glad to see this remains a high priority for the constabulary.

“While I understand that many will have concerns over provision of PCSOs and enquiry offices, I am glad to hear that under this proposal our local stations would be bolstered by additional warranted officers to assist with public enquiries. I have received assurances from the chief constable that the rural crime action team will not be affected by any changes and will continue to expertly repel rural crime across Cambridgeshire.

“I also welcome the constabulary’s continued commitment to getting more warranted officers onto our streets. Cambridgeshire will be bolstered with an extra 62 officers this year, making a real difference in helping to cut crime and keep people safe. I am reassured that many more will follow as this government continues to deliver on its promise to recruit 20,000 more over the next three years.”

A period of staff consultation has begun today (Wednesday, October 21) and will last until November 20

The changes in full

• The reduction of PCSOs from 80 to 40. Police community support offices will in future have a single role profile and “improved alignment to their team”. They will cover all 28 neighbourhoods in the county “to deal with the issues that matter most to the local community”
• The removal of the community safety team, meaning a reduction of six community safety officer posts
• The provision of a seven-day-a-week service from the delivery public enquiry offices at Parkside Police Station in Cambridge and Thorpe Wood in Peterborough;
• The closure of nine enquiry offices - not the police stations - with the implementation of a team of police officers to provide people in each local authority area with an appointment-based service to allow members of the public to meet with an officer. This will result in a reduction of enquiry officers from 17 to 11
• The remodelling of the citizens in policing team, including the removal of the vacant head of citizens in policing and special constabulary post
• The development of area command cells and neighbourhood support teams in the south and north of the county “to deliver consistent and efficient neighbourhood policing across the whole force”.
• Continuous professional development units (CPDU) will “support officers with ongoing operational competence and training”, with PEQF (Policing Education Qualifications Framework) offering an entry route into policing.

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